Process of duplicating typewriting and the like



J. J. GAHN ET AL 1 Aug. 26 1924. 1,506,478

PROCESS OF DUPLICATING TYPEWRITING AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 20. 1920 Cn A Patented Aug. 26, 1924.

UNITED srpftssA PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH J. GAI-IN, CHARLES B. WILKES, JR., AND TOKEN l?. DAVIS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSGURI.

PEGCESS OF DUFLICA'EING TYEEWRTING ANB THE LIKE.

Application filed. September' 20, 1920. Serial No. 411,633.

T0 all 107mm. t may concern.'

Be it known that we, JOSEPH J. GAHN, CHARLES B. lVinuns, Jr., and JOHN P. DAvis, citizens ot the United ltates` residin, ,r at the city ot' St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in Processes ot Duplicating Typewriting and the like, ot which the following` is a specilication.

This invention is a method ot, and apparatus tor, duplicating typewritingl and the like. Tt is adaptable to any one ot numerous machines on the market, but in the drawings is depicted in connection with a machine commonly known as a multigraph.

One result ot this invention is the savingl etfected by omitting the automatic ribbonifeed from the machine, which beine; more or less complicated and composed ot a plurality of parts is an expensive Yfeature oi' present machines. It is unnecessary in connection with the present invention, andits omission is an economy in the construction ot' the machine, besides which much time saved in operation by its no longer beingnecessary to adjust the ribbon, due to its uneven movement and its not retaining its correct position.

Due to slippage et the ribbon in machines of this kind now in use, a long` le ter is never of uniform color throughout its length, but in parts is of a heavier or deeper color than elsewhere. For instance, ii a black ribbon be used, part of such a letter will be black and part gray, which is a very undesirable eliect. It', then, the name and address be iilled in with a typewriter, either another part of black or a third shade is produced. This objection is obviated by the present invention.

An advantage produced by the present invention is that it more nearly than any other method produces in facsimile letters the imitation ot' handwerk on a typewriting` machine, due to its giving` the light and heavy eiiiect on certain letters, thus imitat-ing` the inequalities ot touch on ditierent letters by most typewriter operators.

This invention does away with the use et the ordinary multigraph ribbon, thus savingv the great vexpense ot' purchasing` them. It makes it. possible simultaneously to print letter-heads'from printers type and 'fac-simile letters from typewriter type. By simultaneously is meant in one continuous operation, in which, while a ypiece of paper is ted through the machine., the rotation ot the cylinder prints in succession the letterhead as it' done on a job press andv then the tac-si mile letter trom typewriter type. These .steps may be performed in' either order, and it is immaterial whether the machine be oi the rotary type or some otherthe principle and method are the same.

This invention more than doubles the quantity ot' letters that can be produced in a given time. This has been determined by actual trial and demonstration. This decreases their cost.

.Due to the fact that this invention substitutes a piece et ordinary China silk ior the expensive multigraph ribbons, and due. also, to the tact that one yard of this silk (costing about 'tol-ty cents) will produce more letters than eighteen or twenty dollars worth oi the customary multigraph` ribbons, the great economy attained by this invention is evident.

h/Iechanical details are herein provided for easily attaching' the said silk to, and detaching` it from, the roller or other sur. tace carrying the type.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of. this speciiication, in which like numbers ot reference denote like parts Awherever they occur,

Figure l is a top plan view ot a multigraph machine, with the ordinary ribbon and automatic ril'ibon-teeding mechanism omitted and the silk, mentioned above, in place, with 'means for holding` it lon the drum;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2 in Figure l, looking` in the direction indicated by the arrows; y

l'iig'ure 8 shows the arrangement to print letterhead and tac-simile letter by one continuous operation; and

. Figures tand 5 illustratein section addithe machine.

tional and alternative means for attaching the silk to the roller.

The frame 1 of the machine supports the roller 2 in the usual manner, so that the roller 2 can be freely rotated backward or forward by handle 3; The type-cylinder or roller 2 contains grooves 4 in its surface, in which the type are set. Due to this way of setting` the type, they are in yieldable relation to the type-cylinder or roller 2, instead of forming a relatively hard and lirm or solid body like the type in a job press. It is because of this yieldingness of the type that the effect of imitation of typewriting is produced, the type in a typewriter wavering more or less as struck and when printing, and the type set in grooves 4t likewise yielding as type-cylinder 2 revolves. It is, also, due to this yielding of the type in this machine that the silk 5 hereinabove mentioned and hereinafter described can be successfully used instead of a ribbon. If the type were set [irmly and solidly, as in a job press, the imprint through the silk would not produce a true and good imitation of typewriting, but as used according to the method herein set forth the imitation of typewriting is perfect and superior to any heretofore known.

This method consists in first washing the silk 5 with water, which removes from it gloss or lint or other appurtenances that unfit it for the use herein described. After such washing, it performs its function in lieu of a' ribbon with complete efficiency, but will not do so without washing.

The silk 5 is then attached to the typecylinder 2 in any desired manner. In Figure 1 it is shown attached thereto by hollow rods 6, which are borne by spring-sockets 7, at presentfound (for a different purpose) in such machines on the market. It is immaterial whether such spring-sockets are on the ends of rods6 or on frame 1 of Such spring-sockets 7 permit slight rotation by hand of rods 6 and consequent adjustment, if desired, of the silk 5. Attachment of the silk 5 to type-cylinder 2 by an arrangement of such rods 6 permits, also, the gradual moving out for use of a supply of silk carried in the first place in a roll on one of the said rods 6. The silk 5 ymay at its ends be attached to the rods 6 in any suitable manner, either vby being tucked therein and held by rods 8 or otherwise.

Other means for attaching the silk 5 to cylinder 2 are the clips 9 shown in Figures 3 and 4: and the rod 10 shown in Figure 5. Still other means for the same purpose may be employed. A roller 6 may be used to hold lone end of the silk 5 and clips 9 or rod 10 the other or other imitations are possible.

The ink usedv is a kind of a quick'drying printers ink especially adapted fo-r this particular purpose, which comes from the reservoir 11 and is applied by the inkrollers v12.

Then it is desired to print a letterhead and a facsimile letter by one operation, the type 13 for printing the letterhead are left exposed, as shown in Figure 3, but the silk 5 is placed so as to cover overthe type from which the fac-simile letter is to be printed and attached by clips 9 or in any other suitable manner. The ink is the same for type 13 as for the letter, but type 13 prints the letterhead like a job press, while the interposition of silk 5 causes the imprint of the letter to be the fac-simile of type-` writing. A

The fact that the silk 5 is stationary, instead of the ribbon automatically traveling as customary in such Work, produces greater evenness of color, because slippage is prevented. Nevertheless, the thinness of the silk, compared to the ordinary ribbon,

permits a more satisfactory impression of the type through the silk 5 than through the relatively thicker and heavier ribbon, resulting in a closer imitation of the appearance of real typewriting. The silkhas a quality or characteristic of becoming a matrix as the type presses thereinto, thus giving the desired quality to the imprint.

The silk 5 can be adjusted slightly, if desired, on cylinder 2, and will preferably be turned over and from end to end, thus doubling its life and utility.

Material other than silk may be used for the stationary textile lface 5, provided that it is thin and quite iinpressionable and yielding easily to take a form under pres-.

sure and to yield that form and assume another under new pressure, and may be either textile or fibrous.

It will be observed that this method andv apparatus provides for the material 5 to be held much more in proximity to the face of the type than is possible with a traveling ribbon. l

Then the handle 3 vis turned, pressure is applied in the usual way. f.

' Having thus described this invention, we hereby reserve the benelit of all changes in form, arrangement, order, or use of parts as it is evident that many mino-r changes may be made therein without departing fromr the spirit of this invention or'thescope of the following claim.

Vile claim: l y c The herein described method of printing letterheads and facsimile letters' in one operation which consists in mounting theV type for the letterhead lirmly and solidly on aprinting drum and in mounting the type for the body of the letter loosely in the drum so as to slightly yield during the printing operation, covering the type yfor the body of the letter With a sheet of silk which has previously been Washed to reinove the gloss and lint, fastening the ends of the silk to the drum to hold it Stationary relative to the body of type covered thereby, applying ink direct to the type of the letterhead and, also, to the portion of the silk covering the type for the body of the letter, and then pressing the inked parts against the surface to be printed thereby. 10

In testimony whereof We hereunto affix our Signatures.

JOSEPH J. GAHN. CHAS. B. VILKES, Jn. JOHN P. DAVIS. 

